#SweatworkingWeek

It’s officially winter. Okay, no, it’s not technically “officially” winter. But it’s the first blizzard-y day of the season in Chicago – henceforth known as the day I switch to hibernation-mode.

I’m cozy in my sweatpants and don’t have a single desire to go outdoors. But if I get too stuck in the habit of using the weather to slump into laziness, it’s going to be a long winter. That’s why I’m taking on this quick 30-minute workout within the comfort and coziness of my own home today. Get a workout in, combat winter dreariness and build some endorphins to start the week strong.

Here’s what you do:

Set a timer for 30 minutes. If you have a set of dumbbells you can use them for your curtsy lunges but they can easily be done as a bodyweight exercise. You’ll work through the descending rep-counts of the five exercises in this workout as quickly as you can to complete one round.

Take a 30-second rest or hold a 30-second plank after you finish your final exercise (10 single-leg burpees on each leg) then start back at the top.

Count the number of rounds you make it through to complete this AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps as Possible) workout.

50 rainbow lunges

40 curtsy lunges alternating (weights or not)

30 sit-ups feet under weights or couch

20 push-ups T’s

10 single-leg burpees (each leg)

*Between rounds, take a :30 rest or :30 plank*

Here’s what it looks like:

Rainbow lunges: Turn to the right with your feet in an athletic stance and bend down. Either touch the ground or your right thigh with your left hand then jump up in the air and rotate your hips over to the left, landing with a soft bend in your knees facing the other side. Your arms follow suit and your right hand will either tap the floor or your left thigh as you land. Every time you land in a lunge, it counts as one rep.Curtsy lunges: Lunge your back foot behind and diagonal to your front foot, keeping your front knee bent as close to 90 degrees as you can and keeping your front knee behind your toe. Alternate sides with each lunge. Every time you lunge your leg back, it counts as one rep.

Sit-ups: Place your feet underneath your weights or something that has weight (like your couch) to keep your feet rooted down. This way you can focus more on your core than on your hip flexers stabilizing you. Lie on your back and interlace your hands behind your head. Keep your knees tracking forwards, exhale and sit all the way up. Inhale on the way back down.

Push-ups T’s: From your plank position, lower your body halfway down so that your elbows are at a 90-degree bend, close to your ribs. Exhale as you press back up to the top of your plank and open your right arm out and up, rotating your body to a side plank at the same time. Either stack your feet one on top of the other or stagger your feet, one foot in front of the other for more stability. Then return back to your plank, take another push-up and open up to the left side. Keep alternating sides with a push-up in between.

Single-leg burpees: Just like you would a regular burpee, start in an athletic stance, but lift your right leg off the ground and only make contact with your left leg. When you lower your hands to the ground and jump back into a plank, hover your right leg in a single-leg plank then lower down to a push-up, press back up and bend your left knee to launch it back in between your hands. Press firmly down into your left leg to shoot up into the air and land softly again on your left foot. You’ll do 10 burpees on the left leg and 10 on the right.

Plank: Your active recovery option, stack your shoulders over your wrists and make your spine long from the crown of your head to your heels. Hold either your full plank (on your palms) or a forearm plank for 30 seconds.

(Disclaimer:This workout is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor is it a replacement for seeking medical treatment or professional nutrition advice. Do not start any nutrition or physical activity program without first consulting your physician.)

About Maggie Umberger

Maggie moved to Chicago from North Carolina in 2014 with a degree in Journalism and Spanish, a 200-hour yoga certification, a group fitness cert and a passion to teach and to sweat. It wasn't until she found aSweatLife that she really started to feel at home. Here, she's incorporated her passion for health and wellness into her career as she helps to build the network of Ambassadors, trainers and fitness enthusiasts that exist within the aSweatLife ecosystem. You can also find her coaching at CrossTown Fitness and teaching yoga classes at Bare Feet Power Yoga, Yoga Six and exhale.